Comisión Nacional Encargada de Investigar la Existencia de Distorsiones en el Precio de las Mercaderías Importadas

Since its creation, the Commission in Charge of Investigating the Existence of Price Distortions on Imported Goods has experienced changes in both its area of responsibility and in its composition.

Originally, the ?Subsidies Commission? located in the Central Bank, was created by Supreme Decree 742 of the Ministry of Finance, published in the official Gazette of October 21, 1981. Its powers were to initiate, carry out and conclude investigations regarding the existence of export subsidies, recommending whether or not to apply countervailing duties.

Initially, this Commission was constituted only by officials of the Central Bank. At the end of 1985, its representation was extended to include representatives of the Ministries of Finance, Economy, and Foreign Affairs, as well as representatives of the National Customs Service and the National Economic Prosecutor´s Office. The Central Bank had the Chairmanship of the Commission.

With the promulgation of law 18.525 on June 30, 1986 (article 9), a second Commission was created, the "Commission in Charge of Investigating the Existence of Price Distortions on Imported Goods". This Commission was initially integrated by the same members of the Subsidies Commission and was in charge of akcnowledging the petitions referred to price distortions in international markets.

As a consequence of the above mentioned changes there were two coexisting Commissions, the one created by law 18.525 charged with investigating the existence of price distortions on imported goods and the ?Subsidies Commission? in charge of knowing all the petitions regarding export subsidies.

Between 1989 and 1990, through the promulgation of laws 18.840 and 18.908, certain amendments were introduced to law 18.525 consisting of the designation of the Commission of Distortions as the competent authority to know the petitions about subsidies in replacement of the Subsidies Commission, granting it the nature of ?National" Commission and changing the chairmanship from the Central Bank to the National Economic Prosecutor´s Office.

Since then, law 18.525 has experienced modifications in relation with the National Commission, the most noteworthy being:

    Law 19.155 published in the Official Gazette of August 13, 1992, which gives the Commission the power to recommend the application of antidumping duties.
    Law 19.383 published in the Official Gazette on May 5, 1995, which incorporates a new member to the Commission, in representation of the Ministry of Agriculture.
    Law 19.612 published in the Official Gazette on May 31, 1999, which grants the Commission the power to recommend the application of safeguard measures consisting in ad valorem tariff surcharges.